


Ordinary Family Issues

by Coffee_and_Cigarettes



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Family, Parallel Universes
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-11-06
Updated: 2015-05-21
Packaged: 2018-02-24 09:22:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 11,882
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2576324
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Coffee_and_Cigarettes/pseuds/Coffee_and_Cigarettes
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>While on a hunt, the brothers run into a couple of kids who seem to be in need of their help. As time goes by, Sam and Dean realize that they may have a lot more in common with those kids than they have thought...</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

The branches smacked against his body, scraping his face and leaving fine red scratches on his skin as the fifteen-year-old boy sped through the dark forest, desperately trying to get away from his attacker. He heard his own heavy breathing in the otherwise silent night, heard the scrunching of leaves as his feet pounded hard onto the ground. He felt the pain in his muscles, but forced himself to run faster, though he had already reached his limit and slowly started to lose strength. His teenage body wouldn't be able to take this kind of pressure any longer. But he had to keep on running if he wanted to live.

This was another slightly gone wrong hunt.

The boy tightened his grip on the silver knife, hearing the beast approach. Sweat trickled down his back, hot and sticky, soaking the material of his shirt and the thin t-shirt he was wearing underneath, causing him to shiver in the cool air. The werewolf was close, getting even closer with every second and he could feel its hot putrid breath in his neck.

He wasn't sure whether it was just his overactive imagination, but at some point he was pretty sure the creature had blown a few strands of his hair out of his neck. He needed to get his hair cut, it was getting ridiculously long.

A low growl cut through the silence of the woods, the fifteen-year-old hunter decided it was about time to finally do something, and he spun around just in time when the wolf took a leap, pouncing on him, the huge paws with long sharp claws ready to rip him open.

The world stood still. For a few seconds, the werewolf hovered menacingly above him and the boy imagined it pulling the skin from his bones with those splendidly white fangs and pointy razorlike claws. Damn, that would hurt.

Without hesitation he rammed the blade of the knife into the beast's chest and dragged it down, slicing it open as the wolf wrestled him onto the ground. His last thought before he felt the wolf's weight on his shoulders was whether his sister was okay.

His back hit the cold ground hard, he heard someone firing a gun – once, twice – and the beast let out a howl in pain, blood gushing out and covering the young hunter. Then someone called his name. Through his blurred vision he saw his sister storming out of the thickit, gun in hand and face as pale as a ghost.

“Robbie! Robbie!“ She repeated several times, running across the clearing and falling down onto her knees next to him.

Robbie groaned in pain and used what little strength he had left to shove the wolf's limp body off of him, noticing his sister's bullets had hit the creature straight in the heart. Its intestines were hanging out where he had sliced its stomach open, the blood trickled into the ground.

“Calm down, Sammy. I'm fine.“ Robbie smirked, hoping to appease his older sister.

Samantha frowned, cupping his face to inspect him thoroughly. “Are you sure? It was pretty bad, I thought the thing had.....“ She trailed off, not able to get the words out. She could still feel the cold down to her bones as she thought back in horror to the moment when her little brother got attacked by the supernatural creature.

“No, it didn't tear me apart. Guess, you're still stuck with your pain in the ass little brother, huh?“ Robbie gave her a little lighthearted smile, brushing the incident off as if it were nothing, although he was pretty shaken up too.

Samantha breathed out in relief, letting out an insecure laugh. “Stop, it's not funny.“

“Yeah, it is. Now let me get up.“

He pushed his sister gently away and sat up slowly, rubbing his back. He sighed, knowing he would wake up in a lot of pain the following morning.

“Ugh!“ Robbie grimaced at the disgusting red liquid on the front of his shirt and shrugged out of his jacket first to get rid of the sweaty stinky shirt, leaving him in only his t-shirt. Immediately he was cold and started shivering, but he gritted his teeth and hurried to put the warm jacket back on, telling himself to be a man and suck it up.

“Sam, you're bleeding.“ He stated alarmed when he spotted her wound, unable to hide the concern in his voice. Samantha had been staring at her brother with anxiety, still too scared to avert her eyes from him and didn't notice her scratched knee.

“Crap!“ She said annoyed, inspecting the bleeding spot on her knee where her jeans were torn. In the past few weeks a lot of her clothes had had to suffer. “I just bought those jeans!“

Robbie rolled his eyes at the exaggeration. “Yeah, with stolen money, so don't get your panties in a twist.“

“Shut up!“ She shot back and glared at him. Taking out her phone, she dialed her cousins' numbers, but neither one of them answered.

“Have you seen John and Henry? Are they okay?“ She asked concerned, hoping the boys had been able to get rid of the other wolf.

“I'm sure they're fine. We'll get rid of this thing here first and then go look for them.“ Robbie said, getting up and his sister put her arm around his waist to support him.

“God, dad's gonna be so pissed when he finds out we went after a werewolf pack by ourselves, just the four of us.“

“No, he's not.“ Samantha brushed it off casually. “You know dad. He's all bark, but no bite.“

“Yeah, you're right.“ Robbie smiled. “Just imagine his face when we get home.“

They both laughed, picturing their dad's reaction and felt the adrenaline slowly subside, the tension leave their bodies.

Samantha and Robbie knew their dad wouldn't punish them for sneaking off and being so reckless, he didn't have the heart to do it. He would explode and lecture them about how dangerous and stupid it was to go on a hunt all alone, but one pleading look from his children and he would cave. It had always been this way. Their dad was a badass hunter, but one of his few soft spots were definitely his children.

As they both started to relax, an eruption went through the ground, forcing the siblings to sit down again. They stopped laughing and froze on the spot.

“Earthquake?!“ Robbie exclaimed, looking at his sister wide-eyed. Before Samantha had the chance to answer, a dazzling white light broke through the darkness, blinding them. It absorbed all the trees surrounding them, the dead wolf lying a few feet away and the spot where they were still sitting on the clearing, hunched down.

Samantha squeezed her eyes shut and scooted closer to her brother, her heart beating rapidly. Neither of them knew what was going on, they had never encountered something like this before. It only lasted a few seconds and then it was gone, as if it never even happened.

Samantha opened her eyes carefully, breathing heavily. “Robbie?“ She asked in panic and then relaxed when she felt him squeeze her hand.

“Nothing happened.“ He said quietly, taking in the unchanged environment.

“What the hell was that?“ Samantha said and stood up, slowly walking around the clearing. She noticed some stones, looking like tombs, arranged in a perfect circle around the clearing. Strange signs and symbols were carved into the stone. Samantha felt a shiver run down her spine and licked her lips nervously.

“Robbie... we need to get out of here, we have to go right now!“ Spinning around she ran back to her brother. This was serious, she wasn't sure what they had gotten themselves into, but they definitely shouldn't be staying there any longer. Something was off about this place, she could sense it.

Why hadn't she noticed the stones and weird scratches before? Why hadn't she been paying attention? On top of that, she had brought her little brother here..... crap!

“Rob, let's go, forget the freakin' wolf. We don't know what the fuck's going on, this place could be cursed.“

They were good, smart and experienced hunters; and a good hunter who had all his marbles knew when it was time to run. They raced back through the forest as fast as they could and picked up their duffle bags on the spot where they had left them earlier. Samantha and Rob took deep breaths, trying to calm down.

“Maybe I'm overreacting, but you never know with these kinda places. I haven't read all these books for nothing.... and those symbols, I've never seen them before.“ Samantha explained, hoping she didn't sound too hysterical. Her brother was so damn curious sometimes.

“Are you kidding me? That freakin' light scared the hell out of me, it was really creepy. I wouldn't have insisted on checking it out!“ Robbie exclaimed, stuffing his blood-soaked shirt into the bag.

Samantha smiled in relief. “Good.“

Suddenly they heard low muffled voices, definitely male, and the sound of branches cracking beneath heavy feet.

“What the hell's going on today?“ Samantha groaned, getting frustrated and annoyed. “I can't believe I'm saying this, but we should've listened to dad.“

The siblings quickly hid behind a tree and took their weapons out, staying as quiet as possible. Two men, one very tall and the other slightly shorter, both armed with guns appeared in their sight.

 

The Winchester brothers crept through the thick woods, following the path of the newly turned werewolf to stop it from killing more innocent people. It was an especially dark and crisp night, the full moon glowing high above them in the sky.

In the distance they heard the unmistakable heart-stopping sound of a gun being fired and they stopped dead in their tracks, both their heads shooting in the direction where it had come from. The beast's howl sounded through the forest and shortly after they saw the unnatural white light over the tree tops.

Sam ignored the blood rushing in his ears, focusing on noises that could be a clue. “Did you see that?“ He said quietly, staring at the approximate area and saw his brother nodding out of the corner of his eye.

“Yeah.“ Dean mumbled under his breath, jaw tensing in alarm. “Looks like we're not alone.“ Involuntarily his grip on the gun tightened, knuckles turning white and he stepped in front of Sam in a protective manner.

Sam wiped with his arm the sweat off of his forehead and followed his brother, letting him take the lead. Even though it was rather cool outside, the brothers were both drenched in sweat after one hour of running around in the forest.

A few minutes later Dean noticed a rustle of leaves and instanly knew they were being watched. He could feel the sets of eyes in his back and it made the hairs stand up on his skin. He turned to his brother, locking eyes with him and Sam understood. They communicated silently and walked off in different directions.

“Where did they go?“ Robbie whispered into his sister's ear as the two men disappeared out of their sight. The siblings were still hovering behind the tree, waiting for an opportunity to suprise the strangers.

“Crap!“ Samantha breathed out, racking her brain to find a way out of this situation. The men had split up, she could tell that this was a trap.

“They know we're here.“ Robbie stated quietly and despite the situation, Samantha smiled proudly. Her brother might be very young, but he was very quick on the uptake.

“We're gonna have to face them, right?“ He asked, meeting his sister's gaze. For a tiny fraction she saw a flicker of fear in his green eyes before he straightened up and banned all emotions from his face, turning from the tall lean boy into a hunter within seconds.

“I'm afraid so, Robbie.“ She said with a sigh. “Sorry.“

“It's okay, we're together in this. Everything's gonna be fine. Remember what dad said?“

“We're an awesome team.“ Samantha smiled brightly at him. “Alright, let's do this.“

The young hunters left their secure hiding place, sprinting through the woods and ducking beneath twigs and branches. They didn't get far, it happened all so fast.

Samantha slid to a stop as the taller one of the two men appeared out of nowhere and blocked her way, pointing his gun at her. She quickly lifted her arm to let him know she was not afraid to use her own weapon. Her brother's back was against hers, and she felt a little better, but it only meant that the other man was holding Robbie at gunpoint as well. The four of them found themselves in a stand-off, there was no way out.

“What the fuck have you two done, huh? Who are you?“ Dean barked at Robbie, looking him straight in the eye and trying to make out his features. “Answer, dammit!“

He moved closer to him and Samantha's heart pounded rapidly against her ribcage, the cool metal in her hands turned slick from her sweaty palms. She was beyond nervous, wanting to turn around and defend her brother, but didn't dare drawing her gun back from the menacing silhoutte of the man in front of her.

“I don't care that you're human, if you touch my brother, I'll kill you, so help me God!“ She spat over her shoulder at Dean, but kept her eyes steadily on the tall one, watching his every move.

Her words made Sam frown, her voice stirring something inside him. He squinted his eyes and took a better look at the boy and girl, seeing how young they were. They were both pretty tall and it had been impossible to make out this little detail in the dark.

“They're just kids.“ He pointed out softly, suddenly uncomfortable by the fact that he was threatening a couple of teenagers. By his immediate reaction Sam could tell his brother felt the same way.

“What?“ Dean exclaimed, forcing himself not to lower the gun as much as he wanted to. They were kids, but they could be dangerous. For all they knew, those innocent-looking siblings could be shapeshifters, witches or some other nasty creatures.

Robbie kept his arm bravely lifted up, gun still pointing at the man with short hair who was only a few inches taller than him. Something about his attitude gave him away, his posture, the way he spoke and acted. He hadn't had the chance to take a look at the other man who was currently facing his sister, but he didn't have to. He was pretty damn sure who they were.

“You two are hunters.“ He stated calmly.

“What?“ Samantha said in shock, but knew her brother was an excellent observer and therefore his first impression was probably right.

Dean raised an eyebrow in amusement and smirked. “Yeah, now what about you two? What kind of magic were you doing back there?“

Samantha felt anger flare up at this man's irritating tone. “We didn't do shit, what the fuck are you talking about?“

Sam and Dean were stumped for a second at this young girl's potty mouth. Dean recovered first, gritting his teeth in annoyance. He lost his temper. “We saw the fucking light. What the hell are you? Nasty little witches or just a couple stupid kids messing around with dark magic, huh? You have no idea how dangerous that is!“

“We're not witches, how dare you say that to us! My brother and I aren't monsters!“ Samantha shouted. She was about to open her mouth to really get started and give Dean a piece of her mind, but Sam spoke up in that moment, feeling it was time to interfere. “Listen, all my brother's trying to say is that you need to tell us what happened, so we can fix this problem before people start to get hurt – “

“We weren't practicing any kind of magic back there on the clearing, relax.“ Robbie interrupted him, deciding to explain the whole situation. “We're not supernatural creatures or anything, we're – just like you. My sister and I are hunters.“

“Alright.“ Sam said, trying to appear as friendly as possible while the girl's eyes were piercing through him, full with suspicion. “We believe you, we're not gonna hurt you, I promise. Let's just put our guns down and talk about this.“

“Yeah, right.“ Samantha snorted. “I'm not gonna do so unless he gets out of my little brother's face, got it?“

Dean put his hands up in surrender before tucking the gun back into the waistband of his jeans. He understood very well where this girl was coming from – she was just protecting her little brother.

Only when Sam lowered his gun as well did Samantha dare to look over her shoulder. “Robbie?“

“It's alright.“ He mumbled and she relaxed, giving up her defensive position with a heavy sigh. They turned around and took a few steps back to distance themselves from the hunters, just in case, but didn't run.

Now Sam and Dean could look at the siblings more closely, and indeed, those kids told the truth. Both dressed in leather jackets, jeans and boots, they wore their clothes like a uniform. If there were uniforms for hunters. The thought made Dean chuckle; he bet those kids were armed to the teeth.

“Okay, so let's all calm down and get out of this forest first. You two came this way?“ Sam asked, gesturing to a path in the darkness between the trees that was leading out onto a road. The Impala was parked on the side there, waiting for her owners to return.

Samantha nodded reluctantly, making eye contact with him. She was still being cautious, not wanting to trust those men that easily.

“Okay...“ Sam said, trying to make his voice sound calm and quiet, so the young hunters knew they could confide in him and Dean.

Hesitantly, all four of them turned to walk back down the path they had come from. It was practically pitch-black, you couldn't even make out your own hand before your eyes.

Samantha struggled to get a better look, her eyes were glued to the adult hunters, trying to see them properly in the dark as she walked next to them. The situation seemed so familiar, though she didn't know why. A very crazy thought struck her, she pushed it away.

Robbie narrowed his eyes, he had met those hunters before, but where...? An eerie feeling washed over him. He glanced over at his sister and she looked back at him. She was pale, looking kind of horrified, and he could tell she had the same notion.

“So you said you're hunters?“ Dean eventually spoke up, not able to bare the deafening silence any longer. He could tell those kids were watching him and Sam with eagle eyes, inspecting them thoroughly, and it made him uncomfortable.

“Yeah, we were on a werewolf hunt.“ Samantha stated curtly, never averting her gaze. “We need to find our cousins, they're not answering their phones.“

Dean felt anger well up at the girl's words, but he fought it down. _What the hell were those kids doing huntin' monsters alone?_

He quickly looked them over, searching for any kind of injury. His eyes fixed on the quiet tall boy when he caught a swiff of blood and noticed the dark drying spot on his jacket. It looked really bad.

“Hey kid, you okay?“ He asked, genuine concern lacing his voice.

Robbie stared at him confused before looking down at himself. “Yeah, it's werewolf blood, not mine. Smells pretty bad, huh?“

Dean laughed at the remark.“Yeah, it really does.“

Robbie almost froze on the spot. Something about his tone confirmed his suspicion. It was crazy, but he suddenly knew who those two men really were and why he had the feeling of having met them before.

“We've got a first aid kit in the car.“ Sam said quietly, smiling down at the 18-year-old girl and Samantha realized he had noticed her scratched knee.

“It's really not that bad.“ She grumbled defensively, blushing a little. It bothered her, she didn't want to come off as weak and she sure as hell wasn't in the mood for a lecture which they were definitely about to get.

Her scalp started to prickle, a crazy notion forming in her head as the weird feeling intensified with every passing minute. Something about these men seemed very comforting and familiar, but she couldn't put her finger on it. The tall man's low, yet calm and soothing voice; the gruff husky voice and kind of impatient tone of the other hunter..... their whole demeanor..... everything clicked into place and suddenly made sense. And Samantha almost tripped over her own feet.

Robbie ran a hand through his hair, looking at the hunters again. He wanted to talk to his sister so bad. He wished he could tell her about his theory, so she could dismiss it as insane and then he would feel better. Unfortunately, talking to her privately wasn't an option.

“So.... you said you're brothers, right?“ He asked, remembering that the tall one had mentioned that earlier.

Sam and Dean stared at him and then exchanged a look. Robbie could feel his sister tense up next to him, her eyes burning a hole in his neck, but he refused to look at her.

The brothers nodded confused, unsure what the boy was hinting at, and Robbie clenched his fists nervously and took a deep breath before getting to the crucial part. “And.... you two got names?“

The brothers laughed, amused by the seriousness in the teenage boy's tone.

“Yeah, we do. I'm Dean Winchester. This is my brother Sam.“ He gestured with his head towards Sam as he introduced themselves.

Robbie swallowed hard and supressed a hiss when he felt his sister's nails dig painfully into his arm. Samantha quickly realized that she was clinging to her brother and let go of him, forcing herself to keep it together, though it all scared the hell out of her.

The Winchesters shot them a weird look, noticing that the young hunters were looking at them as if they had seen a ghost.

“You heard of us?“ Dean asked, frowning and looked at his brother for help. Sam shrugged his shoulders, he had no clue why the kids seemed so scared, either.

“You could say that....“ Samantha breathed out, her voice almost cracked as she uttered the words. The siblings exchanged a look, finally daring to look at each other.

“My name's Sam, too.“ She added with a crooked smile, hoping it would cover up her emotional reaction and Sam – her _uncle_ – acknowledged it with a friendly smile. “This is my little brother Robbie.“

“It's nice to meet you two. You don't have to be scared of us. Whatever you've heard about us, it's not true.“ Sam tried to appease them, fearing the shock on their faces was due to some horrific stories people told them about the Winchesters. “Look, whatever happened we'll help you. We'll find your cousins and get you home, I promise.“

“Yeah, we're not the bad guys, you can trust us.“ Dean chimed in, grinning at them.

Samantha and Robbie simply nodded, still processing everything and unable to respond. The Winchester brothers hadn't asked for their last name and the kids didn't mention it on purpose. Winchester was not a common name, and maybe it was just a coincidence that they shared the same last name. But Samantha and Robbie both highly doubted it.

One thing was for sure, they were standing in front of their dad and uncle. A lot younger versions of them. This was freaky, even for them.


	2. Chapter 2

Twenty minutes later the four of them reached the Impala.

On their way back through the forest Samantha quickly told the Winchesters about the hunt and described in detail what she and her brother had encountered on the clearing, but she shied away from letting the men in on their little secret.

Sam listened carefully to the young girl as she told them about the wolf and the light they had all seen.

“We don't know what the hell it was, but we had to leave before we could dispose the wolf. I know it wasn't very smart, but we had no choice.“

He stopped abruptly when she had finished and turned around, wanting to go back. “Dean, you and the kids go back to the car. I'll go check out the tombstones and symbols, maybe it's something we've seen before. I'll catch up with you guys.“

“Alright, be careful, Sammy.“ Dean simply replied, nodding in agreement.

“What?“ Samantha exclaimed, looking back and forth between the brothers. When she realized her uncle wanted to go take a closer look, she panicked.

“No! Sam, don't!“ She grabbed his arm to hold him back. “Please, don't go there alone. None of us should go back there as long as we haven't figured out what this is all about. Robbie and I have seen all kinds of things over the years, but this.... It was all very.... frightening, we don't know how dangerous that place is."

“Calm down kid, my brother knows what he's doing.“ Dean interfered, trying to appear friendly and make his voice sound comforting to wipe out her fear.

Samantha looked over at him, not sure how to respond. She could tell he thought she was making a big deal out of nothing.

Luckily, her brother spoke up in that moment.

“Well, so does my sister. If she says the clearing's not safe then I believe her.“ Robbie said sternly, bravely meeting the older hunter's eyes. He prayed he hadn't pissed his dad off though. For a second he thought he might have gone too far, it was not wise to act that bold and give the adult and much more experienced hunters attitude. His dad wouldn't appreciate any kind of back-talk from two strange little punks. After all, he didn't know they were his.

Samantha looked over at him in surprise, feeling a pleasant warmth spread through her when she saw the conviction and fire in his eyes. Her little brother believed in her and trusted her unconditionally. It gave her hope; they would get through this together. Together they would find a way out of what seemed to be a hopeless situation and somehow get back home.

Robbie licked his lips nervously in the sudden silence. Sam and Dean were looking intently at him and making him uncomfortable.

He glanced at his sister and took a deep breath before continuing. “You have to trust us as well. We can't go back to that place, at least not yet. It was.... unlike anything my sister and I have ever seen. You have to promise that neither of you will go back there.“

He was with Samantha in this mess together and it was their job to protect their family since their father and uncle didn't know what was going on. Robbie looked from Sam over to Dean to make sure that they listened to him, waiting anxiously for their response.

The forcefulness in the boy's tone and the panic and fear in Samantha's eyes were proof enough that this was more than a simple hunt gone wrong. The kids were trying to protect them from something.

“Okay, I'm not going back there, promise.“ Sam smiled at them and the siblings visibly relaxed at his announcement. “We'll do some research first and then see about that. Come on, you two must be exhausted."

“Yeah, we are. I've memorized those symbols, so we can get to work right now.“ Samantha told her uncle eagerly, finally able to calm down again.

Now that the tense moment was over, Robbie let out a sigh and ran a hand through his hair. “I'd kill for a shower right now!“

His remark managed to lighten the mood and they turned to proceed down the path. Dean stepped to his brother and raised his eyebrows, giving him a questioning look. Sam shook his head and dismissed it with a wave of his hand, letting him know he would explain later. He knew Dean was wondering why the kids were acting so strange and wanted to know why Sam had given in.

They stumbled through the thick branches and leaves at the edge of the woods, leaving the dark menacing forest behind. Sam and Dean walked over to the spot where the car was parked at, and Robbie elbowed his sister in the side.

“Ouch! What is it?“ She asked annoyed, shooting him a dirty look.

Robbie grinned from ear to ear. “Look Sam, the Impala.“

Samantha rubbed her side, but started to smile, too. “Now we can be completely sure that they belong to us, huh?“ She whispered, laughing.

Robbie's eyes sparkled with joy and excitement at the sight of the familiar black shiny surface of the car. In the meantime it had gotten dark and the vehicle barely stood out against the equally black-coloured background. They followed the tall silhouettes of their father and uncle through the dark, letting them guide them towards the car.

Dean opened the door for them and watched as they tiredly climbed into the backseat, not able to keep their eyes open any longer. The siblings leaned back into the soft leather seats, inhaling the familiar scent that reminded them of home. They knew they could trust Sam and Dean, after all, they were family.

 

Dean looked discreetly in the rearview mirror at the kids in the backseat, smiling when Robbie scooted down a little to rest his head on his sister's shoulder and closed his eyes. Samantha pulled the blanket that he had given them earlier over both their tall frames and leaned her head on top of his, allowing herself to drift off to much needed sleep.

“So, what are we gonna do?“ Dean asked quietly and sighed, turning his head to look back out the windshield onto the dark road ahead only illuminated by the headlights.

“Nothing.“ Sam responded calmly and Dean's head shot in his direction. “Nothing? Are you serious?“

“Yes. What do you wanna do, Dean? We don't know what the hell's going on or what exactly happened to those kids. We don't even know where they come from.“ Sam reminded him, being as always reasonable and logic. “Look, I wanna find out who they are as much as you do, but hell, the kids went after a freakin' werewolf alone and we should let them rest before we start asking questions, okay? Then, we get them home, do our research and kill whatever it is that needs to be killed. Alright?“

“Fine.“ Dean rolled his eyes. “But do you really think they should be staying with us?“

He glanced to the backseat again, not sure what to do about the young hunters sleeping there peacefully.

“Do we have a choice? It's the middle of the night, in the middle of nowhere....“ Sam replied amused by his brother's reluctance. Dean was visibly nervous about the kids tagging along.

“Well, what are we gonna tell the parents? How are we going to explain what happened to their kids? What kind of people let their kids go huntin' anyway?“ He mumbled angrily under his breath, gripping the steering-wheel tighter.

“Well, Dean... if you ask me....“ Sam hesitated for a second, before deciding to share his thoughts. “.... I think they snuck out of their beds and the parents don't know about their little adventure.“

“Great.“ Dean commented dryly, shaking his head. “Some brats looking for the thrill of a hunt. That's the last thing we needed.“

“Either that or....“ Sam made sure that the kids weren't listening before continuing quietly. “Maybe.... they don't have anyone.“

Dean's jaw clenched and this time he didn't say anything. Sam fell silent too. The brothers didn't talk for the next few hours. In the early morning hours they reached a gas station and Dean parked the Impala for a little break before heading to their final destination.

 

Samantha slowly opened her eyes when the first faint rays of sunshine tickled her face, and realized she had been out for the entire time. She didn't know how long they had been driving, but the bright red stripe in the horizon told her that a few hours must have passed.

The brightness hurt her eyes and she blinked a few times until her vision cleared. Robbie was still asleep and her whole left side and shoulder were stiff from the weight of his body, but she didn't push him away.

Samantha ran a hand through his thick chocolate hair and sighed. Suddenly, with the beginning of the new day an unpleasant feeling crept upon her and she felt guilty.

She had messed up. All of this wouldn't have happened if she hadn't been so reckless.

She was the oldest and had to look after her brother and her little cousins. How was she going to explain that to her dad? Or to her uncle Sam? She hoped John and Henry were okay, but it looked like they were still where they belonged, safe in their right time....

Her depressing thoughts were interrupted when the Impala turned right and she noticed the gas station.

Dean stopped the car and turned in his seat to face the kids. “Rise and shine, kiddo.“ He said cheerily, smiling at Samantha.

He looked tired after the long drive, the first fine lines around his eyes were visible now. He smiled his warm daddy smile for her without even knowing who she was. For a second Samantha was too confused, her heart clenched in her chest before she remembered. _Get a grip, he doesn't know who the hell you are._

She quickly smiled back at him, hoping she didn't look as pathetic as she felt.

“How about a little break?“ Dean suggested and she nodded thankfully.

Robbie stirred next to her and then suddenly sat up, looking around in confusion. Samantha could tell the exact moment when it all came back to him and it hurt her to see the hint of fear on his face before he put on a sleepy smile to hide his real feelings. Just like dad.

Dean put a hand on Sam's shoulder to shake him awake, making him grumble in annoyance and slap Dean's hand away. “Quit it, I'm awake.“

“Better get your ass up if you wanna use the restroom, Sammy, or we'll leave you here.“ He grinned when the kids laughed as they got out of the car. He had noticed that Samantha and Robbie seemed kind of sad and lost and he wanted to cheer them up a little.

“Okay, fifteen minutes, kids. No dilly-dally, we still got a long drive ahead of us, got it?“

The siblings nodded in surprise, not protesting or even complaining like they usually would have. His words were exactly what their dad would say to them.

“Good, I'll get us some breakfast. You'll eat whatever I get you.“ He turned around and disappeared in the shop, leaving his kids with their uncle.

Sam leaned against the Impala, shaking his head. “Don't listen to him, guys. Take your time, you don't have to hurry. Dean's been driving the whole night and is a little cranky.“

Samantha and Robbie exchanged a look before looking at Sam again.

“He said 'dilly-dally'.“ Robbie pointed out.

“Yeah, that's how I know that he's really exhausted.“ Sam replied quietly with a serious expression on his face and they all broke into laughter.

 

Robbie checked his phone one more time as he waited for his sister to return from the bathroom. It was no use, whatever he tried he couldn't get a signal. It wasn't that surprising since they got thrown back into the past and their future technology was useless.

Sam was sitting in the passenger seat with the door open, but wasn't trying to start a conversation as though he could sense how confused the boy was and understood that he needed to be left alone for a while.

Robbie sighed and stuffed the cellphone back into his pocket, looking up and seeing his sister crossing the station.

“My phone's useless.“ He told her when she had reached him.

“Mine too, but I'm still not sure....“ Samantha trailed off, glancing at Sam to make sure he wasn't paying attention.

“What?“ Robbie demanded in a hush, growing impatient.

“Is this really the past, I mean like the real past? For all we know we could be cursed after we killed the wolf and this is some kind of..... hallucination.“ She raised her hands, gesturing at the surroundings.

Robbie raised an eyebrow, staring at his sister skeptically. “You serious? This is the dumbest thing you've ever said.“

Samantha crossed her arms in front of her chest with a stern expression on her face. “You got a better idea, genius?“

“No, but I'm sure this is all pretty real. Trust me, Sammy, this has gotta be our dad and uncle's past.“ He countered and then suddenly his expression changed as it dawned on him. “God, I'm so stupid!“

He walked around the car and grinned at her. “....I'm going to prove to you that this is real. See.“ Robbie said, pointing at the plate and Samantha's eyes widened as she read the year that told them how far back into the past they had involuntarily travelled.

Immediately Samantha's eyes shot into Sam's direction. Dean had returned and the brothers were talking quietly, without noticing them. “Okay, so.... how old are they then?“

“Well...“ Robbie squinted his eyes as he quickly did the math. “I guess they must be in their thirties..... dad's probably around thirty-five and uncle Sammy's thirty, thirty-one.“

“So.... what do we do now?“ Samantha whispered hesitantly.

“Dunno....“ Robbie mumbled, shuffling with his feet uncomfortably. “Do we.... do we tell them who we are?“

He looked up from the ground hopefully, eyes full with the desire to let the Winchester brothers know the big secret. Samantha smiled at him sadly, fighting her own feelings down.

“We can't, Robbie. I want to, believe me, I wanna tell them as much as you do, but.... if we did, they would both get their first heart-attack....“

Robbie's hurt and sad smile matched his sister's. “Yeah, I get it.“

“Besides, it wouldn't be fair, right? If we tell them, it'll influence their life, I mean, at this point they don't even know that we'll be born.....“

For a little while the siblings stared silently at Sam and Dean's jacket-covered broad backs, both deep in their own thoughts. Knowing what year it was added a touch of reality to their current situation. This wasn't a dream or a hallucination.

Suddenly Robbie's voice cut through the silence.

“Stop it, Sammy.“

She turned her head to him, not sure what he meant.

“You're not dad, so stop acting like him. None of this is your fault, don't blame yourself for everything.“ Robbie said gruffly. In that moment he looked exactly like his dad, jaw clenched with a stern look on his young face.

Her brother's attitude was so damn annoying, and Samantha had to control herself to stay calm and not yell back at him. Sam and Dean were standing only a few feet away and she didn't want them to witness the argument.

“We shouldn't have gone after the pack – “ Samantha started weakly, but Robbie shook his head in protest and cut her off. “Oh please, like you could've convinced us not to go. John and Henry had to kill those wolves, they wouldn't have waited another day. Hell, you couldn't wait to fire off a few silver bullets, either, admit it! And it's not like we don't have any experience, okay?“

“You know what? You are acting pretty much like dad, too!“ Samantha spat, not able to hold back her anger any longer. Her brother's words enraged her, because she knew he was right.

“What is that supposed to mean?“ Robbie questioned, pissed off now as well. The recent events were slowly taking their toll on the teenagers.

“I'm talking about your reckless behaviour in the forest. You think it was very smart to play the bait, huh? What the hell were you thinking?!“ She yelled at him and Robbie snorted. “It was the only option I had left! Now calm down, nothing happened, I'm still alive, aren't I?“

“I know, but still.... okay, okay, I don't wanna fight with you.“ Samantha put her hands up in surrender. “Listen, I'm sorry... it's just, I don't know how to get out of this mess, how to get us back home. But even if we do get back..... what am I supposed to tell dad?“

Samantha's voice almost cracked and Robbie regretted his words. “Hey, come on, don't do this. You're not alone, I'm here with you.“ He put a comforting hand on her shoulder, giving her a smile to make her feel better. She nodded, burying her hands in her jacket pockets and smiled weakly back at him, forcing the gnawing guilt away.

“And just in case you forgot, we've got our dad and uncle to help. We are so damn lucky to have run into them and not, you know, some strangers.“ He added.

Samantha looked at him in surprise, as if noticing that little fact for the first time. “Shit, you're right! I haven't even thought about that.“

Robbie chuckled at her reaction. “Hey, how about..... I know we can't tell them that we're family just yet, but what if it takes longer than we expect to get back to our own time, like several months, can we.... can we tell them then?“

Samantha swallowed hard at the thought before nodding. It was devastating to imagine they could be stuck in the past for such a long time. “Yeah.... yeah, if it takes that long then we'll definitely tell them.“

 

Dean walked out of the shop, carrying a load of unhealthy food he had bought. He noticed the kids standing by the car talking and figured this was his chance to talk to Sam. His brother was on his laptop, frowning in concentration as always when he was researching.

“Hey, I've tried to find something about the place, you know, what used to be there back then.... whether it's cursed or not.“ Sam started rambling before Dean could say a word.

Dean raised an eyebrow, looking stumped for a moment. “Wow, you just couldn't wait, huh? It's six thirty in the morning.“ He added, taking a look at his watch.

Sam ran a frustrated hand through his hair, shutting the laptop closed and letting out a heavy sigh. “Dean, we promised to help Samantha and Robbie, they're counting on us.“

“And we are going to help them. So, find anything?“ Dean asked, handing Sam a bottle of water. Sam shook his head, opening the bottle and taking a sip. “No, nothing at all. This is..... something else. I need the library for this one.“

“Okay, let's collect the kids and go then.“ Dean said, gazing to the spot where the siblings were still talking. His expression changed as he watched them for a while. “I swear to God.....“

“What?“ Sam asked when he trailed off.

“Something about these kids....“

Sam looked at him intently, amused by the suspicion in his brother's tone. “What's the matter? You're not buying their story?“

“What? No, no. I'm sure they're telling the truth, it's just..... they're making me uncomfortable, okay?“ Dean choked out nervously, glaring at his little brother when he laughed. “Dean, they're just normal kids.“

“No, just look at them, they're.... perfect. Perfect little hunters.“ He said quietly under his breath and sighed. “They're so young, they shouldn't have to deal with this crap. I don't like the idea of them running around the forest, huntin' wolves, it's just not right.“

Sam noticed the sad look that appeared in his eyes and struggled to find the right words to say. “Listen, they said their cousins are still out there. We need to find them and get all four kids back home..... If they have one, that is.“

Dean chuckled bitterly.“Those kids are throwing their lives away...... I have this weird feeling, Sammy. There's more to the whole thing, but I can't explain it.“

“Well, we're gonna find out. We can talk to them on the way back.“ Sam said calmly.

“Yeah, okay – hey, they're fighting!“ Dean suddenly exclaimed, slightly panicked. As if the situation wasn't already bad enough, now he had to deal with teenage kids and their temper.

“Looks like. You better go over there and stop it.“ Sam said casually, not worried in the slightest.

“Why me?“ Dean asked offended, not looking forward to this task. But Sam knew he was going to do it anyway. The young hunters were already important to him, Sam could tell.

“You got the food. I bet they're just hungry, so go feed them.“

“Hope you're right.“ Dean grumbled and made his way over to Samantha and Robbie. “Hey, how about breakfast, you two?“ He said, smiling at them.

The kids almost jumped at the sound of his voice.

“Sorry, didn't mean to sneak up like that. Thought you might be hungry.“ He passed them two bags of chips, a carton full of donuts and something to drink.

“Yeah, thanks.“ Robbie stammered awkwardly. He just hoped he hadn't witnessed them fighting, and most importantly, hadn't overheard the last snippet of their conversation.

Dean nodded, scratching his head. “You ready? We should get going. You can eat in the car, but don't ruin the upholstery, alright?“

The kids nodded and climbed into the backseat. Sam grinned in amusement when Dean took his seat and started the car, letting out a relieved sigh.

They left the gas station, both brothers unaware that Dean's instinct was right about the kids. Meanwhile, Samantha and Robbie were thinking of the right moment to tell the Winchesters that they were from the future.


	3. Chapter 3

The night was creeping up fast until it had covered everything in darkness, making it impossible to see anything. John stopped dead in his tracks by the side of the road, spinning around in panic when he didn't spot his little brother Henry. The sudden panic that washed through his body caused his heart to beat faster; the blood was rushing in his ears and he couldn't hear a damn thing. Henry had been behind him not even a minute ago. Where the hell did he go? 

John had already lost his cousins Samantha and Robbie and now his brother was nowhere to be found.  
He ran a hand through his hair and squinted his eyes, hoping to make out Henry's tall frame somewhere. 

“Henry!“ He called out, slowly turning in a circle as his eyes thoroughly scanned the surroundings for any sign of his presence. “Henry!“

The road was empty, not a single car was passing through and the only noises echoing through the silence was his voice calling for his brother and the animals in the forest.  
John heard leaves rustling to his left and turned around, letting out a relieved breath when seconds later Henry climbed through the thickit. The boy wiped his hand over a scratch on his cheek and dusted his jeans off to get rid of the dirt.

John shook his head. “Dude, you scared the hell out of me.“  
“Dude, I'm not that fast, okay? Sorry.“ Henry pouted with a frown.

John smiled at him, feeling a little guilty. He had been sprinting through the forest without realizing his fifteen-year-old brother might have trouble keeping up.

“Hey, I'm sorry, man. I'm just worried, you alright?“ He stepped closer to check his body for injuries. 

“Just a few scratches, I'm fine. Find Sam and Robbie?“ Henry asked, looking up at his older brother hopefully.

John hesitated for a second before answering. “No. I've tried calling them, but they're not picking up. They called you?“

Henry shook his head. “No.... you know what this means, right? Something went wrong when they went after that one werewolf....“

John closed his eyes and sighed. “Yeah, I know. But where are we supposed to look for them? Where have they gone? I mean, this forest isn't even that big.“

“We've been looking for them for over an hour now, maybe we should....?“ Henry started, but John cut him off.

“No, we have to find them. We can't go home without them.“

“We have no choice, this is too big for us! We can't do this alone, and you know it!“ Henry protested and John looked down onto the ground; the sign for his surrender. “Great. Asking dad and uncle Dean for help, explaining to them what happened..... they'll kill us!“

The boys glanced back to the thick dark woods one last time before turning around and walking over to Samantha's Jeep parked by the side of the road.  
Unfortunately, Samantha had the keys and John was forced to hot-wire the car, but at the moment he couldn't think about how pissed she would be. He feared his father's and Dean's anger more. 

On the long drive back to the bunker they didn't speak, both boys too scared and concerned for their cousins.

 

Sam and Dean were still up, sitting at the kitchen table and trying to keep their minds off the fact that their kids were not safe in their beds right now.

“I can't believe they snuck off like that. Do they really think we're that dense and wouldn't notice that they're gone?“ Dean finally broke the silence, not able to stay quiet any longer. His voice was a gruff whisper as he tried to speak as quiet as possible. He didn't want to wake the rest of the family. “It's almost three in the morning, where the hell are they?“

“Dean, calm down. I'm sure they're fine.“ Sam tried to appease his brother. If it weren't for him, Dean would have already knocked down everyone's door in the entire city in search for the kids.

“Wait, so you're okay with this?“ Dean narrowed his eyes at him.

“No, I'm most certainly not okay with their behaviour. I've told John and Samantha a million times not to drag Henry and Robbie along, but it's Friday night and I guess they just wanted to have some fun.“

“Oh, I'll show 'em fun when they get back.“ Dean mumbled under his breath and took a sip from his bottle of beer.

Sam chuckled at his words. “I'm sure they'll walk through the door any minute. But there's no use in going after them when we don't even know where they are.“

“Yeah, I hope it's just some college party they went to and not....“ Dean trailed off and Sam put his bottle back down on the table as it dawned on him what his brother was implying. He sighed heavily. “If they are on a hunt we can't do anything about it. It's not like they haven't done this before. I'm sure everything's fine.“

“They promised us not to go alone.“ Dean reminded him.

“Yeah, and lied to our faces without batting an eye.“ Sam said calmly.

Dean raised an eyebrow in amusement. There was no bitterness in his tone when he added, “The kids are always itching for a hunt.“

He took another sip from his beer bottle and turned his head in the direction where down the hall his youngest daughter was sleeping peacefully in bed in her room. “At least Mary's not causing any trouble.“ He mumbled, lost in thought.

Sam chuckled, but refrained from making a comment. He decided not to remind his brother that his daughter hadn't been the reason for their headaches in the past because she was so young and not involved in the activities of the other four kids.

Mary was only thirteen, a quiet and thoughtful girl who prefered to spend her free time listening to music and reading an awful amount of books instead of going hunting with her family. Contrary to her siblings and cousins, Mary wasn't interested in becoming a hunter and killing monsters.  
She reminded Dean a lot of Sam when he was her age.  
He was thankful and relieved that she wanted to lead a normal life since he spent so much time worrying about the four troublemakers in their family, yet it scared him out of his mind how little interest she had been showing towards hunting so far. If, God forbid, something happened, he wanted her to be able to defend herself.

He had taught her the basics and she proved to be quite the decent shot, but whereas her siblings had been eager to learn and train, Mary always seemed to be so miserable and sad during her lessons on the shooting range.  
Dean felt like the worst father ever and couldn't continue torturing her like that, so he had decided to stop. When he told her she didn't have to train anymore, he was sure he had never seen her smile as brightly.

He had never meant to bring them into this life – hell, he had never planned on having children at all – nor had he intended for his kids to become hunters, but it happened and he couldn't change that.  
Dean was brought back into reality when he heard a quiet, suppressed noise in the hallway. Sam had noticed as well and shook his head softly. “They really do think we're that stupid.“

The brothers got up and quietly crept out of the kitchen to surprise the four teenagers who were presently trying to slip past the grown-ups in the hope of disappearing into their bedrooms unseen.

John and Henry had just descended the spiral staircase and were about to turn right and slip into the hallway which led to their rooms but never got this far.  
When Sam cleared his throat, the boys jumped and spun around, coming face to face with their father and uncle who were standing right behind them with their arms crossed, stern expressions on both their faces.

John glanced over to his brother and swallowed nervously, his mind desperately working to find the right words.

“Where have you been?“ Sam asked calmly, and the boys knew it wasn't a good sign. Dad was pissed.

“Where's Sam and Robert?“ Their uncle demanded, his gaze drifting up to the stairs as if he expected his kids to walk down the steps in that moment.

John moved bravely in front of his little brother to shield him from the brunt of their dad's anger. “Dad, we have.... we need...“ John trailed off, unable to continue and hung his head in shame.  
Henry realized his brother couldn't break the news, so it was up to him. The boy stepped closer and Sam's face turned pale as soon as he caught sight of the blood on his son's face.

“Henry.... what?“ He choked out. Giving up his defensive posture, Sam rushed over to his boy, his anger from before already forgotten. 

“I'm fine.... just a scratch.“ Henry whispered.

“What about you, Johnny? You okay?“ He turned to his oldest, searching worriedly for more wounds. John simply nodded, unable to look his father in the eye.

“We are fine, dad. Don't worry. But...“ Henry repeated and then looked at his uncle. Dean saw everything in his eyes before the fifteen-year-old could even say anything. It was obvious what had happened, Samantha and Robbie weren't with them. 

“Dean, don't be mad at us.... we.... we tried, but... we split up and.... and Sam and Robbie disappeared.....“ Henry pleaded, tears suddenly burning his eyes.

With his nephew's words still ringing in his head, Dean sat down clumsily on the first step of the staircase. He buried his hands in his hair and stared blankly onto the floor.  
Sam and Robbie disappeared...  
No, no it couldn't be. His worst nightmare had come true, hunting had taken its final toll.  
He had lost them. His babies were gone. How was he supposed to cope with that?  
He heard his brother and nephews talking, but couldn't make out a word they were saying. Their voices blended in and turned into a background noise as he sat there, broken and with no energy in his body. It was as if someone had punched the air right out of him and left him numb. 

Seeing his brother's pain ripped Sam's heart apart and he quickly focused on his children who were standing there in front of him, quietly blaming themselves. He needed to stay focused now and find out what was going on.

“I'm sorry, dad. We screwed up.“ John broke the silence first and finally met his father's gaze.

“Tell me what happened.“ Sam asked softly. His boys were looking so guilty and he wished he could have protected them from this kind of experience. But Sam refused to believe his niece and nephew hadn't survived. They were out there and they would find them. 

“We... we were on a werewolf hunt....“ John started nervously. “It was a small pack. Four wolves. So we figured we could split up like we sometimes do. You know, we're four, they're four, so... so each of us had to kill one.“

Sam raised an eyebrow at that, but didn't interrupt him.

“We killed 'em all, I even saw Sam after she had killed her wolf, but then Robbie had a little trouble and she went to help. That was the last time we saw them.“ John ended, heartbroken.

Dean stood up, cautiously like an old man, and slowly shuffled out of the room without glancing back at them.  
Sam closed his eyes and ran a hand through his hair. Then he pulled both his boys as close as possible to him, unable to believe that they were here and safe with him. He breathed in their scents, the light smell of copper, a whiff of sweat, leaves and leather, as he imagined what kind of hell his brother would have to go through in the weeks and months it would take them to find Samantha and Robbie.

 

Without noticing that he had somehow moved, Dean found himself back in the kitchen. He just stood there, indecisive and not certain what to do with himself, staring at the empty beer bottles on the table.  
When the weight of his loss eventually hit, his legs gave out and he slumped down in one of the chairs.

He sat at the table, intangible thoughts rushing through his mind. After a while he heard footsteps in the hallway and then noticed out of the corner of his eye his sister-in-law stopping in the doorway hesitantly. Dean ignored her though, he didn't have it in him to turn around and face her.  
Luckily, Rose seemed to understand, because he heard her walk away.

Dean remained sitting at the table. He didn't know for how long, having lost track of time. But somehow in his distraught state he managed to grasp a thought, and it occured to him that he had to tell her.  
Slowly, he pulled his phone out of his pocket and dialed his wife's number. He had no idea where the hell she was and had no desire to find out.  
It was in the middle of the night, so he only reached her voicemail. He was relieved he didn't have to talk to her, this was already hard enough.

Dean cleared his throat and took a deep breath before daring to speak.  
“Hey.... it's me....“ His voice was hoarse and shaky as he struggled to get the words out. “Just wanted to let you know.... the kids went on a hunt.... but... but they.... they never made it back.....“ His voice cracked and he hung up without another word, tossing his phone on the table and closing his eyes in an attempt to succumb to the darkness.

Rose sensed that something had to be terribly wrong. The last bit of sleepiness she felt after waking up at three in the morning vanished as soon as she caught sight of Dean sitting at the kitchen table all by himself. She left him alone and made her way through the bunker in search of her family, afraid of what she was going to come upon.

Rose found her boys in the library, and when John and Henry looked up at her she immediately knew that they had lied to her about where they had intended to spend the evening. They had definitely not been watching movies at John's classmate's house.

The expression on Sam's face was undefinable, Rose didn't dare to ask what had happened.

“They were on a hunt.“ Sam said quietly when their eyes locked.

“What?“ Rose whispered in shock, taking a few steps towards them, but then stopped. John squeezed his eyes shut, knowing all hell was about to break loose. Their mother would rip them a new one. To his surprise she didn't start yelling, just looked at them quietly.

“Are you hurt? Henry, you're bleeding!“ She ran over to her fifteen-year-old boy to inspect his face.

“Little scratch, mom. I'm fine, don't worry.“ Henry mumbled nervously, repeating the same sentence for the third time now. He lifted one hand to run his fingers over the scab on his cheek. 

Rose was relieved at first, but the bad feeling she had still wouldn't leave. “Where are Samantha and Robert.....?“ The cousins were inseparable, they rarely spent time apart and they always went together on a job.

Rose looked from the kids to her husband, but all three stayed silent and refused to look at her. John and Henry sat with folded hands in silence, ashamed of themselves. 

Sam cleared his throat, crossing his arms over his chest he finally turned to his wife. “Rose, honey.....“

He didn't have to say any more, her eyes widened and she covered her mouth with one hand, shaking her head slightly. “No.... no.“ Rose wrapped her morning robe tighter around her body when she felt a sudden cold seep right down to her bones.  
It was silent in the room for a few minutes. 

“They just told me everything. We don't know what exactly happened to them, so we need to calm down.“ Sam's voice was full of determination when he spoke up. He was the one who had to take control and stay rational for everyone's sake. Understandably, his brother couldn't think straight, let alone function at the moment. Now it was Sam's job to find his niece and nephew and bring them home. 

“You two are going to bed now.“ He told his sons. John was about to protest, but his dad cut him off before he could utter a word. “I know you won't be able to sleep, but you have to try and get some rest, okay? It's the middle of the night, there's nothing we can do now. Don't worry, in the morning we'll all go back to that clearing and try to figure out where Samantha and Robbie have disappeared to.“

John nodded and leaned back, knowing his father was right. He started to feel a little hope. His dad would handle this, he would find Samantha and Robbie and everything would be back to normal very soon.

Then Sam turned to his wife. “You too. I know you have to work in a few hours.“

Rose nodded, feeling herself calm down. Sam's poise, the way he was approaching the problem was soothing and helped her not to panic. “The police could help. You know in any other case I would arrange a search team, but since this is about our family...“ She offered, knowing Sam would dismiss that idea as well.

Sam sighed. “Yeah, I know. This is something supernatural and we can't risk other people's lives.“

“I'll try to get the day off to help look for them.“ Rose said and when she realized that among all this chaos they forgot about a certain thirteen-year-old, she added, “What about Mary? Anyone told her yet?“

“No, she was asleep when I checked on her. There's no need for her to find out about this now. We'll tell her in the morning.“

 

Sam stayed awake for the rest of the night. The sun would be up in a few hours anyway and he sat down in the library for some research after sending his wife and boys to bed. However he didn't find squat and decided to go for a run in the crisp early morning to clear his head.  
He walked into the bedroom quietly, fearing he might wake Rose, but the bed was empty and he heard her in the bathroom getting ready for work. He quickly changed into his sports clothes and went to check on his brother.

When Sam walked back into the kitchen, dressed for his daily run in the morning, Dean realized he had spent the entire night at the kitchen table.  
Sam sat down across from him with a heavy sigh and waited for his brother to look at him.

“Dean.... I know this isn't easy for you....“ He started softly, but Dean shook his head.

“No, no you have no fucking clue....“ Dean's voice was raw, sounding like sandpaper after the long hours of holding back tears.

“Dean, you can't give up now. You need to get a grip, do you hear me?“ Sam demanded. Dean could see the accusation and slight disapproval in his brother's eyes. He didn't care, he couldn't bring himself to give a rat's ass right now.

“You have to keep going.... for your daughter's sake. Mary doesn't know yet, and it would be best if she heard it from you....“ 

Those words did wonders. Slowly, Dean seemed to shake off the daze, coming alive again. He sat up in his chair and leaned closer. “Is she okay?“

“It's seven in the morning, she's still asleep in her room.“ Sam said softly. “Listen. The plan is to go back to that spot in the woods and figure out what the kids stumbled upon, okay? We'll go as soon as the boys wake up.“

Sam gave his brother a few minutes to process before he added, “We need you to come with us.“ Dean nodded slowly and Sam was relieved to see that his brother seemed more like himself again. “Okay, you go for your run. I need to talk to Mary.“

Dean left the room, his whole body and even his bones ached as he walked down the hallway. He felt so much older now, this one night had cost him at least ten years of his life.  
He stepped into his youngest daughter's room, finding the girl fast asleep in her bed. He sat down in the armchair in one of the corners and scanned the room. His gaze stopped at the huge desk covered in school things; papers, pencils and the books she was reading for school were scattered all over the wooden surface.

Dean smiled sadly when he noticed a few cds and a high stack of books on her desk as well as on the nightstand by her bed. He knew she was reading those for her own entertainment and pleasure, not because it was an assignment for class, and he saw that she had placed bookmarks in between the pages of at least five paperbacks. As always, Mary was indulging in several stories at the same time, instead of reading one book at a time.  
For some reason, this little fact caused Dean to lose it. Finally, the dam broke, the tears rolled down his face and he found himself unable to stop crying.

 

Rose came into the kitchen and Sam gave her a tired smile.

“How's he holding up?“ She asked softly when she noticed Dean's seat was empty.

“I don't know. Guess, he's trying to get it together.“ Sam sighed and walked over to her to wrap his arms around her. She was wearing a simple black shirt and her old washed out jeans with her badge secured to the belt and her gun attached to her hip. He looked her over and kissed her forehead.

“Be careful, honey.“ Sam told her quietly. He hated her job and he hated having to watch her go and risk her life every day.

Rose closed her eyes and allowed herself to relax in his embrace for a few seconds. “You too. I love you, baby.“

“I love you too, beautiful.“

She took a step back and brushed a strand of hair out of his face. “We'll get through this. The kids are out there, I refuse to believe our niece and nephew are.... that they are.... This family has been through so much, we're used to dealing with these kind of situations and this is just another rough patch for us.“

“You're right.“

“God, my sister doesn't know yet....“ She started quietly. “I know I should give her a call, but I'm not sure if I have it in me to tell her that her children are.... “

“You don't have to. I'm sure Dean would wanna do that.“

“Yeah, you're right. He should be the one to tell her.“ Rose put on her jacket and leaned up to kiss him.

“I'll call you if something happens.“ Sam said and pulled her to him again to kiss her one last time before letting her go.

 

Dean didn't remember, but he must have fallen asleep in the chair in Mary's room, because the next thing he knew, she was hovering over him and trying to wake him.

“Dad, hey dad, wake up.“ She whispered softly, shaking his shoulder.

He opened his eyes and blinked up at her disorientedly. “Mary...?“

“Yeah, what are you doing in my room, dad? You scared the hell out of me.“

Dean sat up and ran a hand down his face. He felt like crap and didn't know how to tell his little girl about her siblings.

Her father looked awful and the fact that she had found him sleeping in her chair scared Mary a lot. “Is everything okay?“

Dean sighed, looking her straight in the eye. “No, sweetie. Nothing's alright.“

Mary nodded, bracing herself for the bad news. “What's going on?

Dean smiled at her, admiring how brave she was. God, how he hated himself for having to put her through this.

“You know how grateful I am for you, right?“ He said, taking her hands in his. “Mom and I.... we didn't think we could have more kids after your brother was born, but then.... she got pregnant again... with you...“

“Okay....“ Mary frowned, not sure why her father was suddenly so open and started talking about such an awkward subject. She was a little embarrassed and tried not blush. “Okay... now I'm really terrified....“

Dean chuckled softly at her words and she could see the pain he was in when he looked at her again.

“What's the matter?“ She asked impatiently. “Daddy, what happened?“

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading!


End file.
